Helping Sakura
by Tazmanian Devil Sakura
Summary: Sakura is badly injured & has the curse mark of Orochimaru! Team Gai & Tsunade have a plan to help the poor pinkette. Title stinks, so does summary, but story is better. I hope.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

I growled as I felt the pain rip through me over and over again. How could I have been so stupid in the first place? Ugh, I think I might die from this pain than from old age, or a kunai through the heart like I always thought I would end up dead as. I had managed to change into some grey sweat pants and a black long sleeve shirt and my black ninja sandals before poofing into my shisou's office. Hopefully she could tell me what was happening with me.

When I had arrived outside of her door I saw Shizune walking by. When she saw me she dropped all of the papers she was carrying and ran into my shisou's office. I could tell she was in a meeting due to the snippets of conversation that I had caught before falling to the floor, unconscious from all of the pain. The last thing I heard was my named being screamed by a male and someone saying something about a change in my appearance. Whatever it was, I really wanted it to end.

When I woke up, I heard a beeping sound and smelt the smell of a hospital room. How would I know this? I work in a hospital, duh. Anyways, my head felt like it was ready to explode and my whole body was screaming in pain. Even when I was hooked up to machines and probably check by Tsunade shisou and Shizune, I was still in pain.

I opened my eyes and and all I saw was blackness, which freaked me out since I didn't really like blackness like this. It was as if I was in an endless dark pit with no light coming to help me get out anytime soon. Many thoughts were running through my head, but I shook them away since ontop of an oncoming head ache, my head was still throbbing painfully.

I heard the door open and a gasp being made. I heard the heels, probably from one of the nurses here, turning away from my room. They probably had went to get Tsunade shisou or Shizune. Man, I was incredibly stupid and this pain was certainly the worst punishment I could ever receive, hopefully.

"Sakura." I heard my mentor call out.

"Shisou, why do I see only black? My head...hurts and I feel as if I'm...dying." I choked out. I wouldn't be surprised if I was dying.

"Tsunade-, Sakura!" I heard Shizune say.

I only whimpered as another wave of pain racked my body. Ibet this was worse than what the Inuzukas have to face when they are in heat for the first time. I'd rather be in heat for the first time than go through this. Man, how many times will I have to think this? I whimpered once more, this time I kept my eyes shut tight since it did me know good keeping them open.

"I'm scared." was all I managed out before blacking out completely once again from too much pain.

**~ NORMAL POV ~**

Tsunade and Shizune looked down at the pinkette who was now peacefully sleeping. The two women, plus a few other nedics, had worked two hours non-stop to stable Sakura's condition. Tsunade had an unopened bottle of sake in her hand and she hadn't taken a sip from it yet, surprisingly. She was too worried about her student who was like a daughter to her.

"I wonder what happened to Sakura." Shizune said.

"I don't know, but if this is the doing of someone then they will be finding themselves wishing for mercy and begging to be killed by Madara instead." growled Tsunade. She finally opened the sake bottle and began doing the contents like their was no tomorrow. "Sakura would have died from the pain instead of the blood loss if she hadn't come to me immediately. Did she just get back from a mission?"

"Hai. Her and Team Gai returned this morning, twenty minutes prior to when Sakura came to the Hokage's tower. The mission was a success, although they ran into some trouble along the way." Shizune answered, reading from the file that was in her hands.

"Tell Team Gai to meet her ASAP. I need to listen to the full mission report. One with more detail than they usually give, something isn't right here." Tsunade said. If her thoughts were announced true, then she would be needing to see the eldest Uchiha in her office and give him a beat down.

Team Gai had arrived about ten minutes from when Tsunade sent Shizune to go and retrieve them. Apparently they were sleeping and gaining back their energy that was lost on the mission. Tsunade was analyzing them as she stood in front of Sakura's hospital room door. She noticed that Tenten had a cut on her cheek, which she would get Shizune to heal in a few minutes. She also notced that Neji, Gai, and Lee looked really tired, as if they were running away from the biggest explosion of their lives, which could have happened.

"Team Gai, before you give me a more detailed version of the completed and successful mission, I have to show you something. And I advise you to not speak too loudly, or to tell anyone of this. If word gets out, then bad things will happen." Tsunade said, authority was evident in her tone.

Team Gai only nodded tiredly as they followed Tsunade into the hospital room. After she closed the door she heard Tenten holding in a gasp, Lee gasp, Gai's jaw dropping in shock, and Neji going bug eyed. That was how quiet it was when they entered. Even the monitors in which the pinkette was hooked up to weren't making a sound.

"A few hours ago, Shizune found Sakura barely conscious in front of my office while I was in a meeting. Apparently, she was suffering from pains that ripped throughout her boyd, making it hard for her to calm her chakra system down. When my staff and I were in the emergency room, I spotted many deep wounds that nearly destroyed many vital organ systems." Tsunade explained. "After we healed as much as we could, without harming her any further, I noticed a strange mark on the left side of her neck. Guess what the mark was."

"What?" Tenten was the only one who found her voice after seeing the pinkette in such a state. When they had gotten back to the village only mere hours ago, she didn't look this bad. She looked as if she only had a few wounds, but nothing to serious.

"It was the same mark that Orochimaru had given Sasuke, but only a level higher. What sparks my curiosity is that why would Orochimaru do this to her." Tsunade looked over the team in front of her, then to her sleeping apprentice. "Or was it someone else who did this behind Orochimaru's back. Whatever the case is, I want to get to the bottom of it. So I am handing your team a few missions to take at the same time."

"One of them...is to protect Sakura, look over her and make sure that the curse mark doesn't make her do things Sasuke did." Neji said, he had finally gotten over the shock, though he winced very visibly when he looked once more at the pinkette. Unknown to everyone, besides Tenten, he admired Sakura and had started to develop an interest in her over the last few seven months that the team and the pinkette have been hanging out together.

"Yes, that and I want you to find more information about this. No one will be told of this and it will not be discussed unless I bring it up. Oh, and she needs to live somewhere other than her apartment, which I am thinking of selling since I don't like the land lord much."

"Well, Gai sensei did have this one suggestion a while ago." Tenten said. "He was thinking of buying a rahter large house so that Team Gai could live together until we decide to branch off to start our own lives. Maybe we could use his idea and allow Sakura to come and live with us. I'm sure that none of us wouldn't mind."

"Yosh!" Lee said, though he was more quieter than usual. "We shall buy us a youthful house and allow the lovely pink blossom to stay with us!"

Tsunade smiled. She was glad that her apprentice was getting over the few deaths that had happened over a year ago. She was also glad that she chose this particular team to bond with, since they obviously care for her as if she was always a part of theri team. The blonde Hokage looked at Neji, inwardly smiling. Maybe she could find a new love as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

Sakura had woken up the next day around nine at night and had to try and not to freak out from only seeing darkness once again. She senses six familiar chakra signatures in the room with her and she wondered why Team Gai was there.

"Shisou? Why can I only see darkness?" the pinkette's voice was soft as she spoke, as if she was using it for the first time.

"That's because...you have gone blind Sakura, I'm so sorry." The pinkette heard the tremble in her mentor's voice and sighed. She would have to be blind once again in her life. And to think that she was only able to see from the ages of nine to sixteen.

"Oh. I see." Sakura could practically hear the six people wince at her choice of words. "I guess I'll just have to get used to being blind once again."

"What do you mean again?" Shizune asked.

"I had been born blind, it should say that in my file. I only received my eyesight when I was nine, because my father had died and he did some kind of jutsu on me to see." Sakura explained.

"Do you know how to do the jutsu?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, but it can only be used once per person. Since it has already been used on me I can no longer see."

Sakura winced as she tried to sit up. Shizune quickly helped her and the pinkette sighed in numb pain. Her head ache left a slight buzz which would go away in a few hours, and her body was now only aching, which would probably disappear in the next few days. She concluded that she lost her eyesight, had many deep wounds, and was going to be receiving a scar running from her hip to her middle back. Sakura, however knew that it would be hard for people to tell that she was blind. which brought her to making a small request from her shisou and Team Gai.

"Um, could we not tell anyone that I am blind? I don't wanna be treated differently because of that. Trust me, people would start trying to take care of me as if I couldn't do it myself." Sakura said. "When am I getting released?"

"Alright, we won't say anything. Besides, it doesn't look as if youa re blind, which is really making me curious." Tsunade said. "Oh, and today, after a quick check up."

"Ah. By the way Tsunade shisou, curiousity killed the cat." Sakura smiled. She was taking this whole ordeal quiet well, surprisingly.

After Tsunade had done a quick check up on her apprentice, she was asked a question which made the six people in the room tense.

"Shisou, why do I have a curse mark on me?"

"I-I, I don't really know Sakura. But I will try to find out who did it to you, since it is somewhat differnet than Orochimaru's ususal ones." the blonde woman said. "Alright, you are free to go. Oh, and you will be living with Team Gai, and I sold your apartment."

Tsunade grabbed Shizune and high-tailed it out of the hospital room, leaving a confused team and an angry pinkette.

"Why, when I get my hands on her I'll ring her neck." seethed the pinkette. "So, why do you guys live together?"

"It's easier for us, since we are a team." Tenten said. "And since we consider you a part of our team then you will be living with us. Even if you weren't injured I would have forced you to because there is no way on Earth I am going to be the only female living with these idiots."

"I see. I believe that Neji is giving you a Hyuuga glare Tennie-chan." smiled the pinkette.

"Why?" whispered the brunette weapon mistress.

"Huh?"

Sakura had gotten out of bed and was putting on her clothes behind the little built in curtain. Stepping out from behind it she put on her sandals and walked over to the team, wincing when she went to go stretch out her muscles.

"Why aren't you devastated about losing your eyesight? About receiving the curse mark? About almost dying?" Tenten choked out. Out of all the girls Teten has befriended, Sakura was her best. The thought of losing the pinkette saddened her deeply and left her wanting to go out of her way just to make sure she didn't get hit in an attack.

"Because, when I chose the road to being a ninja, I knew that something might happen. Whether it be losing the use of any of my body parts, to receiving some sort of scar, to experiencing death when I'm going to live. I guess I have gotten used to this type of stuff that could happen to me, so I prepared myself as soon as my first experience shocked some sense into my love sick brain." Sakura explained, playing with a strand of her waist length pink hair. "Besides, I was born blind and it didn't surprise me that I might become blind once again later in my career. I used to be terrified of the thought, but now I am accepting it. It's just the way of life."

"You are wise." Neji said. "You speak wisely, though you are less experienced than most. Even though our team has been in this career longer than you have."

Sakura smiled in his direction. "Then that means I'm growing up into an old wise sage." she laughed a little. "So, where is this house we will be living at, hm?"

**~ THREE HOURS LATER ~**

Sakura had followed Team Gai outside the hospital and could feel the heat of the sun's rays on her face. She could tell that it was really sunny and that no clouds were in the sky. Poor Shikamaru, he must have been having a troublesome day. Then the pinkette was lead to the new house and was awed by how big it was. She soon discovered that the house was located on Hyuuga land, far away from the main compound yet close to the village. She loved how big each of their rooms were and that she was able to land the attic as her room. She has always wanted the attic as her room since she was little, now she finally got it.

Team Gai had spent the last three hours with bringing stuff into the house and rearranging them. To get things done faster, they all helped with fixing up the living room, dining room, kitchen, and the main bathroom. Then they each made several clones to fix up their own rooms which had their own bathroom's connected to their rooms. Gai and Lee were the first ones done, followed by Sakura, then Neji, and finally Tenten. They each had a tour of each of the finished rooms and decided to eat out at Ichiraku's, since Lee and Sakura were up for ramen.

**~ AT ICHIRAKU'S ~**

"Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" chanted Lee and Sakura.

Neji, Tenten, and Gai only looked at them as they hooked arms and skipped down the road towards the ramen stand that a certain blonde knucklehead loved so much.

"I bet I can eat twenty bowls of ramen without feeling the slightest bit full." they heard Sakura tell Lee, obviously riling him up.

"I bet I can down forty youthful ramen bowls without feeling the slightest bit full!" Lee yelled with enthusiasm.

"Sometimes, I wonder if Sakura took the role of Kakashi sensei and Lee took after Gai sensei." whispered Tenten to Neji. The two looked at their said sensei and sweatdropped at his anime tears that were running down his face.

"Such YOUTH!" he said proudly.

"Eh, definately."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

The next few weeks went by fast and Team Gai, along with Sakura, were getting irritated by the busty blonde Hokage. They were currently in her office along with Gaara and his siblings. Apparently, the red haired Kazekage wishes to have the team, plus Sakura, temporarily work for him for a few months. When Tsunade agreed, she asked to speak to Team Gai alone, excluding the pinkette, who was confused. When the fours people went out into the all, Team Gai were left and Shizune came in, closed the door, and placed a jutsu around the room.

"Since you will be going to Suna, the search for whoever gave Sakura the curse mark will be on hold. And don't aruge with me." she added as the team opened their mouths to protest. "This is for your own good. Sakura is handling things better than I thought she would. And unless she starts getting affected by the mark, this mission will not continue."

"What do you mean by affecting her?" Neji asked.

Tsunade sighed. "If there is a change in her behavior, or if something is off about her, I want you all to immediately report this even though you will be in Suna. We can't take any chances but leaving it alone for now, since it seems dormant. Also, Uchiha has been spotted near Suna a few times along with his newest team. I want you to watch fro anything abnormal and report to both me and Gaara. That's it, you are dismissed. Gaara will tell you when he wants to leave."

That was when Tsunade kicked them out of her office while Shizune sighed and scolded her mentor for drinking sake and ignoring the frever growing mountains of paper work.

**~ WITH TEAM GAI, SAKURA, AND THE SAND SIBLINGS ~**

"So, Kazekage." Tenten said. "When will we be leaving?"

"Now. I suggest you all go and pack the necessary items for a few months stay. Meet me at the gate in five minutes." was all he said before leaving them with Kankuro and Temari following their younger brother.

"Well, at least they didn't know I was blind. Hm, I so rock at hiding this." grinned Sakura, then her grin faded. "That's it! I've been hanging around Lee and Gai for way too long."

Team Gai looked at the pinkette with sweatdrops. Gai and Lee were proudly crying at how 'youthful' Sakura was being. Crying so loudly they didn't hear the last sentence, but they did however hear the next one.

"Oh well, being youthful is rockin'!"

Neji and Teten went into their 'emo' corners as they pitied poor Sakura. Unknown to Sakura, Gai, or Lee (who were now talking about different types of training to help out Sakura); Tenten and NEji came up with the perfect plan to rescue their friend in need. Although she doesn't know she needs to be rescued.

"Plan shall start as we travel!" Tenten proclaimed loudly, doing the Gai pose while Neji fought the urge to smack his head repeatedly against the building. He was starting to think that being on the Spandex Duo's team was starting to ruin his friends. His poor, poor friends.

**~ AT THE GATES OF KONOHA ~**

Gaara and his siblings were greeted with seeing Team Gai, well Sakura and the Spandex Duo, talking amiably about different types of Taijutsu to be used while in SUna for their training. Neji and Tenten, however, had a dark, ominous cloud over their bowed heads. Kankuro and Temari sweatdrop while Gaara decided to ignore them and to get the trip home started.

As the group traveled it was nearing sunset and Sakura was getting the feeling that they were being watched. Being blind had seemed to enhance her senses, which she was thankful for since she lost one of her senses already, and wanted to warn the others without the watching person suspicious. What she did not know was that a pair of red eyes were watching the group. Eyes were trained on the Hyuuga and the young Kazekage, who were in the front being silent, and enjoying the silence while they ignored the others.

Sakura felt the spike in the familiar chakra of the person watching them and fought her chakra from spiking as well. Since she had perfect chakra control, only a miniscule of it had spiked, resulting in no one noticing, not even with the Byakugan nor Sharingan could catch it.

"Hey Gaara!~" Sakura called in a whiny voice. "I'm tired, sore, and I may be getting my monthly gift soon, but anyways; can we stop for the night?"

"Hn."

"And I shall translate that from Anti-Social Males with Poles Up Their Asses Language." Sakura said, sensing the twitch that the males had momentarily; while everyone else, besides Gai and Lee who were chatting about youth, to snicker into their hands.

"And pray tell, what would this translation be?" Neji asked.

Sakura smirked, "It means that you shall give into my annoying whine as we set our tired asses down, get some sleepyz in, and poke fun at the two Anti-Social Males with Poles Up Their Asses to entertain us on our **three day journey**." Sakura emphasized the 'three day journey' part sensing the look of horror pass through the red head and pale eyed males. She was gonna have some fun, being blind wouldn't stop her from having fun!

"Hey Sakura, why'd you name that 'language' the Anti-Social Males with Poles Up Their Asses Language?" asked Temari, a bit winded from the long language title.

"Because I got bored one day and just thought it up. But if I don't feel like saying that whole thing then I just say the A.S.M. with P.U.T.A.L, also known as the ASM with PUTAL!" Sakura said, obviously proud with her handiwork. (Lolz).

"That's just confusing." Temari said. "I'll just stick with memorizing the whole damn thing."

Sakura and Tenten grinned as they looked at each other. Then they both replied to Temari.

"That's what she said!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

Tazmanian Devil Sakura (a.k.a Hanako Reiume-chan): Please review! And read the my note at the bottom please, thanks and hope you like this extremely short, at least I think, chapter. **:D**

Sakura had plopped down onto the bed that she was to sleep in during her stay in Suna. Tenten had whispered what the view was like so that whenever Temari, Gaara, or Kankuro asked on what they thought of a certain painting, plant, or whatever, she was able to answer them without causing suspicion. Closing her unseeing eyes, the pinkette felt Neji enter the room that she and Tenten were sharing.

"Yo!" she greeted, getting into a sitting position. She patted the spot in front of her where the bed dipped as Neji sat down. "So, what's been on your mind Mr. Got A Pole Up My Ass?"

"I do not have a pole up my ass." retorted Neji.

"Uh huh, and Sasuke wears a tutu whenever he senses no one around." Sakura sarcastically said.

_**~ TAZMANIAN DEVIL SAKURA ~ REIUME ~ TAZMANIAN DEVIL SAKURA ~**_

"ACHOO!" sneezed a certain raven haired teen as he stopped his previous activities. Activities which involved a tutu and him acting out some type of drama. "Damn base." muttered the Uchiha. "OROCHIMARU! KABUTO! TURN UP THE FREAKIN' HEATING SYSTEM WILL YA?"

_**~ TAZMANIAN DEVIL SAKURA ~ REIUME ~ TAZMANIAN DEVIL SAKURA ~**_

"You know, for some odd reason, I think my ex-team mate really does where a tutu in his free time." Sakura said as a mental image came up, and when it did she hurriedly swat it away and shivered.

"I agree. ALthough, I think pink would suit him better." joked Neji.

It was silent until Sakura's giggles were sounded throughout the room. The giggles soon turned into laughter in which Neji inwardly smiled at. If he could pick one thing that he enjoyed about Sakura at this moment, it would have to be the sound of her laugh, and the fact that she laughs.

"So, what is the reason that you came to see me?" Sakura asked as soon as her laughing fit ended. At the word 'see' Sakura felt Neji's chakra spike slightly and could practically feel the older male flinch. Rolling her unseeing eyes, Sakura playfully punched the white eyed male. "Oh come off it Hyuuga. Remember, I was practically born like this."

"I know." he sighed. "But it still is...unusual to see you like this. How can you be so care free when you lost your sight, the ability to be a 'free' ninja, and the fact that you have a curse seal on you."

Sakura sighed as she layed on her back, Neji shifted so that her head was in his lap. Ever since the incident, the two of them had become closer than anyone ever thought they could be. But even before the incident, Neji and Sakura were pretty darn close. Sakura opened her eyes and Neji held back tears that threatened to spill at the sight of her green eyes, which would still brighten or dim whatever her emotion was.

"Neji, inside I feel as if I lost a big part of me. But when really I only lost a small asset for myself. Besides, not all ninjas are perfect. We all have flaws, some are more obvious than others. I sometimes wish that I could be able to see and if this curse mark would just disappear, even though nothing has happened so far."

"I know that." Neji sighed for what seemed like the hundreth time that hour. "Just get some sleep for now Sakura. I know that you are tired from the travel and the fact that you have stress on you."

"You know, I wonder if Byakugan could see more than just chakra points." Sakura gave Neji a dazzling smile which he couldn't help but pull Sakura up and hugged her.

Not surprised, the pinkette wrapped her arms around the Hyuuga male and burried her face into his left shoulder. She breathed in the scent of winter freshness and a hint of lemon. She absolutely adored it, though she would never tell Neji. Soon, the pinkette found herself slowly losing consciousness as her exhaustion caught up with her. Then Neji, as soon as Sakura was asleep, leaned against the head board with Sakura still on his lap, her right side resting against him as his arms wrapped around her sleeping form. Then he too slowly fell asleep, as his exhaustion took over.

It was that particular scene that the Sand Siblings, Tenten, Lee, and Gai had found the two in. Temari and Tenten silently squealed together, Lee and Gai (surprisingly) cried silently, Kankuro made a gagging face, and Gaara...well, Gaara showed no emotion. But if you took a magnifying glass and held it to Gaara's lower part of the face, you would have been able to see the slight twith in the corners of his mouth, almost making a tiny smile...almost.

_**~ TAZMANIAN DEVIL SAKURA ~ REIUME ~ TAZMANIAN DEVIL SAKURA ~**_

**Tazmanian Devil Sakura:** This chapter was kind of like a filler of sorts. As you can see, Neji and Sakura are close, but they aren't in the ball park yet. Also, a quick announcement, I would be really happy if those who read this story (whether you have an account or not) to please review. I don't care if it is a flame (no constructive criticism please) but at least tell me what you think. For this story, I am aiming to get more than two reviews for every chapter. How about I make a deal with you all, if I get at least five reviews on the chapters so far, not just this one and not counting the reveiws I already have, I will update a longer chapter. Thanks :)


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